Heart of the Sword
by Bakageta
Summary: Waking up with two names and no memories isn't fun. Neither is getting stuck in someone else's memories, then finding out that you're their new sword. Not Crack. Zanpakuto!Ichigo.
1. Arriving to an Empty Place

Heart of the Sword

Arriving to an Empty Place

Bakageta

Beta'd by Arwen and Unsane Chibi

* * *

'_When I'm alone, tomorrow feels far away._

_And I must go over still into the darkness of dawn.'_

_--'Heart of the Sword-Yoake Mae' T.M. Revolution_

* * *

_**Roughly one-hundred and fifty years after the Winter War.**_

'_Where am I?'_ He thought as soon as he was conscious enough to. His brows furrowed when he realized what he'd thought.

"Goddamned cliché." He muttered as he hauled himself up off of the dusty road he'd been laying on. "Wait a second… shit. _Who_ am I?"

'_Kurosaki Ichigo.'_ The thought came to his head moments after he'd asked his question aloud. Then, instants later, _'Also, Shugorei.' _What he found odd was that both felt like his own thoughts, like things he _knew_, but he hadn't known them until he'd asked. It was as if he'd forgotten them but had somehow brought the facts back into remembrance. The name 'Kurosaki Ichigo' seemed more familiar, so he decided to go by that.

Ichigo dusted himself off and looked at his surroundings. He was just inside the entry gate of a large walled-in compound of buildings. The buildings were built in the traditional style; Ichigo knew this but had no idea what it meant other than that the buildings weren't modern. All of the buildings were raised about three feet off of the ground on thick wooden posts, and some of these posts continued up to form the vertical frame for the rooms of the buildings. The rooms were walled in with simple sliding shoji screen doors.

The road he was on continued deeper into the compound and, as there was no reason not to, Ichigo followed it. It split as it went and Ichigo followed whichever path caught his attention. After a few minutes the path ended at a building that overlooked a pond. Ichigo hauled himself up onto it and wandered to the side that faced the pond. He leaned on the railing and looked down into it. The water was preternaturally still, and, as he gazed into it, Ichigo realized that there were no fish in it, there were no water-skaters on it, and there were no birds or damselflies above it.

"Weird," Ichigo said, breaking the unnatural silence, "it's almost like I'm the only one here."

There was no response other than more unnatural silence.

'_I am alone…'_ Ichigo realized and just as soon _knew_ that he was right.

Sighing despondently, he looked down into the still pond and saw his reflection.

"What the…?"

Instead of a formal kimono, or even Shihakusho, as the setting almost demanded, Ichigo was wearing a slim fitting shirt and pair of jeans. Combined with his bright orange hair he looked like anachronism personified.

"This just keeps getting stranger." Ichigo said quietly. He turned, struck by a sudden curiosity, and stared at the closed shoji door. Half expecting it to be filled with modern furniture, Ichigo slid the door open only to be greeted by darkness. He glanced around almost guiltily even though he _knew_ there was no one else here other than him, but, within a minute of opening the door, he'd entered the room.

For the first few seconds he was inside it, the room was completely dark, but, after a sudden flash, Ichigo was greeted by a highly improbable scene.

He was laying on his back staring up at a clear blue sky; there was a dull ache in his stomach. Ichigo tried to get up and move around, but his body seemed to be somehow disconnected from his mind.

"Get up, Yuudai." Ichigo heard a stern voice command.

'_Who in the hell is Yuudai?'_

Then the entire sky tilted. Ichigo was disoriented until he realized that he was moving, somehow, without even trying to. When he regained his senses Ichigo took in as much as his fixed field of vision allowed. He was standing in an open practice field, for kendo, apparently, as the person standing opposite him was holding a wooden bokken and he could feel the hilt of what he assumed was another bokken in his palm.

"Now, we will continue until you get it right." The same stern voice said, and Ichigo realized that it was the man opposite him who was speaking. He seemed familiar to Ichigo.

"Yes, Father." Ichigo felt himself say, but the voice wasn't his.

Ichigo had no time to think on what that meant because as soon as he had spoken the man had blurred into motion. His body (or Yuudai's, Ichigo wasn't sure at that point) moved without his will, bringing the bokken up to block the incoming strike.

The block was successful and for a moment Ichigo felt a vague, distant sense of triumph. At least until he felt the tip of Yuudai's Father's bokken touch the small of his back.

"You blocked the first strike," Yuudai's Father said clinically, "but you failed to consider the possibility of a second. That is why _'Senka'_ is such a powerful technique. That is all for today, you may go, Yuudai."

Ichigo watched through eyes that weren't his as the man set the bokken down and left. He felt a mix of emotions: pride, resentment, anger, but most of all the feeling of I-disappointed-Father-_again_; and they were all distant like the triumph he had felt when Yuudai had blocked his father's first strike. It was like the feelings belonged to someone else, and he was just an observer.

Then there was a flash of movement and sound. When he could see again, Ichigo was inside a building, from what he could see of its interior it was likely very similar to the buildings that were in the compound he'd been in previously. The room itself was sparse furniture wise, but seemed very lived in.

His eyes panned the room until they landed on a woman who was kneeling comfortably in front of a low table. Her back was facing towards him and she seemed to be writing something.

"Mother?" Ichigo felt himself question, still unwillingly and in Yuudai's voice.

The woman turned and Ichigo got a good look at her. She had the same air of familiarity around her as Yuudai's father had in addition to radiating a sense of peacefulness and love. Her hair was long and dark, strangely braided around her neck so that the thick rope of hair flowed down in front of her.

"What is it, Yuudai-kun?"

"I've finished my Zanjutsu practice for the day."

"Good," Yuudai's Mother said, smiling, "do you want to practice your calligraphy?"

A thought skimmed across Ichigo's consciousness; something about _not fun, do I have to?_ But he caught the look Yuudai's Mother sent him.

'_Scary Lady…' _Ichigo thought.

He settled down next to her and began to slowly scribe kanji onto the cream colored rice paper in front of him. It was very quiet and occasionally Yuudai's mother would look up from her own writing to gently correct an error. Ichigo's vision blurred again, and when he could see once more it was night and there were lit candles spaced about the room.

"Can you tell me what happened?" Yuudai's Mother, who was still at his side, asked.

"Nothing happened." Yuudai said quietly.

'_Bullshit.' _Ichigo barely knew the kid, and even he could tell something was up. It also helped that he was present for what he thought was the cause. _'If she goes along with that she's an idiot.'_

"It seems like quite a lot of nothing."

Yuudai remained quiet, and the world in front of Ichigo blurred once again.

Now, he was hidden in a bush, peering out between the leaves. Beyond the bush there was a field filled with people, _Shinigami_ Ichigo's mind whispered, dressed in Shihakusho. All of them were moving as one, copying the motions of a short figure who stood several hundred feet away from where Yuudai, with Ichigo inside him being taken along for the ride, was hiding.

Yuudai sat still, watching the drilling Shinigami intently. Ichigo wished he would do something, he could feel Yuudai's muscles cramping. Infuriatingly though, he couldn't do anything.

Hours later the instructor finished and the Shinigami left the open field. The instructor however walked straight to the bushes that Yuudai was hiding in.

"You didn't think I wouldn't find you, Yuudai?" The instructor asked as she stood in front of the bush.

She was even more familiar than Yuudai's Father and Mother had been, a deep heart aching sort of familiar. Ichigo himself felt torn inside, he remembered her, he remembered arguing with her, he remembered fighting with her and for her, but he couldn't remember _who_ she was. He looked through Yuudai's eyes and saw a woman who was only slightly shorter than Yuudai, who had beautiful blue eyes, and who had night-black hair and his soul ached with vague feelings; feelings of _there-she-is, it-worked-thank-god, _and _she's-still-alive._ But Ichigo could tell they were his own feelings, coming from where ever his real self was.

"No, I knew you'd find me Rukia-oba."

"Then why did you waste all that ti—did you just call me _Aunt_ Rukia?"

"Of course not!" Yuudai said with false innocence.

"You brat. I ought to beat you unconscious and drag you back to Nii-sama."

Yuudai gulped.

"But if I did that then you wouldn't get the chance to talk to me. That is why you bothered to sneak away from the manor and into Seireitei, right?"

"Yeah." Yuudai said, and Ichigo could feel his guilt.

"Then let's go to my quarters."

Ichigo's vision blurred again and then he was sitting in another sparse room across from Rukia who was sitting at a desk shuffling papers around.

"So..?" Rukia asked from her place at the desk.

There was a long pause before Yuudai spoke.

"I'm not sure if father loves me."

Rukia's eyes widened and she stood and sat next to Yuudai.

"He does love you." She said, putting a comforting arm around Yuudai's shoulders. "Nii-sama is… not very good at showing his feelings to others. I spent years trying to measure up to his standards, trying to keep him from regretting his decision to adopt me, before I realized that I didn't need to. I already had a place in his heart, first as his former wife's sister, then as his own sister.

"You are his son, Yuudai. There is no doubt in my heart that he loves you."

"Okay." Yuudai sighed. "I just wish he would show it more, like Mother."

Rukia smirked. "The Great Head of the Noble Kuchiki Clan, show emotions? Preposterous!"

Yuudai chuckled.

The scene blurred once more and now Ichigo found himself in a classroom. The thin woman teacher at the front was in the middle of asking a question when Ichigo became aware.

"…tell me the best way to slay a Hollow? Koubai-kun?"

"With a sword." A boy across the classroom answered bluntly.

"Err… well, yes that's true. But I want to know the best technique. Does anyone know?"

"Idiots…" Yuudai grumbled quietly before raising his hand and answering. "The best way is to approach the hollow from behind and slice its head before it notices you."

"Correct. Thank you, Kuchiki-kun."

Yuudai showed no outward reaction to the teacher's praise, but inside Ichigo could feel him bubbling with pride and superiority.

'_I don't like where he's headed.' _Ichigo thought as the scenery blurred yet again. _'He keeps this up and he'll end up as arrogant as Byakuya with a matching stick up his ass.' _But then Ichigo's thoughts halted, confused. _'Who is Byakuya?'_

This time the blurring didn't stop, nothing came out of the endless field of colors except for fragments of words and voices. It was these that bought Ichigo out of his introspection.

"…sure that's him? He looks kinda wimpy, I don't think he could be from such a great…"

"…love you so, so much! I was wondering if you'd go out with…"

"…you've let your guard down again, Yuudai."

"…can trust that your Father loves you, and if you can't do that, then trust me when I say that he…"

"…another fight? Yuudai, you're lucky I'm the Fourth Division's Captain, any other mother would leave these to heal on their…"

"…such a prick! I don't know what I ever saw in…"

"…'im? Yeah, he's th' Kuchiki brat. I think he's th' most spoiled…"

"I wish I could be half as good as him. Maybe then I'd be able to actually get a seat in…"

"…early graduation? Yes, with his grades it seems likely, but what that would do to his psyche? I can't…"

"…must remember that the Noble House of Kuchiki is above nearly all others. It is of upmost importance that you behave as your position demands. Do you understand, Yuudai-kun?"

"I do."

The voices kept coming, but through sheer force of will Ichigo managed to close his eyes to the swirling colors. Once he'd done that it was laughably easy for him to bring his hands up to block his ears. Minutes later he opened his eyes again and found himself lying on his back on the porch of the building next to the pond in the empty compound. Ichigo sat up and looked over at the shoji that he'd opened. It had closed itself somehow while he was… unconscious, maybe?

"What the hell was all that?" Ichigo asked aloud. As before the answer rose to his consciousness as soon as he asked.

'_Memories of He-who-wields-me.'_

"What?!" Ichigo stood and shouted. "No one wields me! I'm not a weapon!" But his own words rang false in the core of his being. Maybe he wasn't a weapon _once_ but now his soul all but screamed to him that he was.

"Then what am I?" He asked the air fully expecting an answer. He got one.

'_I'm a Sword-soul, a Zanpakuto.'_

"Huh!?" Ichigo was shocked beyond words.

'_He's here.'_

The porch and pond were both fairly secluded from the pathways of the compound so the boy on them didn't notice Ichigo. Actually, Ichigo realized, the boy on the pathway probably wasn't a boy. He looked almost seventeen, but the way he moved was stiff and awkward and made him seem like a boy playing at being grown up. He was wearing blue hakama and a white gi with blue stripes running down its sleeves. Ichigo recognized it as the male Shinigami Academy uniform, though he'd never actually seen one.

Without giving his actions much thought, Ichigo flash-stepped in front of the boy. Now that he was closer Ichigo could see more of the boy's features. Both his thick, tied-back black hair and grey brown eyes reminded Ichigo of the man and woman Yuudai's memories had labeled Father and Mother. Ichigo made the easy assumption that the boy and Yuudai were one and the same.

"You are my Zanpakuto?" Yuudai asked suspiciously.

"Yeah." Ichigo answered, scowling. He could already tell he didn't like his wielder any more than he liked the idea of being wielded.

"My name is Kuchiki Yuudai."

"Yeah, I already figured that out."

There was a stretch of silence before Yuudai spoke again.

"Are you sure you're my Zanpakuto?"

"Positive."

"It's just… you don't seem very…"

"Very what?"

"Magnificent."

Ichigo nearly burst out laughing. Nearly.

"I guess your soul's not as 'magnificent' as you thought then." Ichigo said once he was sure he wouldn't laugh.

There was more silence.

"So, are you going to tell me your name?" Yuudai asked.

"Why should I?" Ichigo retorted, crossing his arms. "You haven't done anything for me."

"W-what!?" Yuudai was very obviously affronted. "I told you my name!"

"I already knew it." Ichigo responded casually.

"If you tell me your name I can graduate Academy! I can get into a division! I can go to the Living World and fight hollows!"

"Good for you, but what's in it for me?"

Yuudai was silent. He'd obviously never thought that his Zanpakuto would have any wants other than his own and he had no clue as to what he could offer.

"Tell you what," Ichigo said, "if you listen to me, if you let me watch, and if you let me fight alongside you, I'll tell you my name. Deal?" Ichigo held out his hand.

"Yes." Yuudai said and grasped Ichigo's hand in his own.

"Good. It's too damn lonely here." Ichigo let go of Yuudai's hand

"So, your name?"

For a moment Ichigo didn't know how to answer. He knew 'Ichigo' wasn't the name Yuudai needed, though it was very close. Then he remembered the other name that had come to him when he'd first woken.

"Shugorei." Ichigo answered. "And to release me: Sakebi, Shugorei.

"Thank you." Yuudai said, bowing.

"So, what's going on outside?" Ichigo asked while looking up at the sky.

"I'm sparring with Father." Yuudai said simply.

"You better get back to it then." Ichigo said and when he looked down from the sky, Yuudai was gone.

_**Translations, Notes, and Info**_

-gi- The shirt/top half of both the Academy Uniform and the Shihakusho

-hakama- The pants/bottom half of both the Academy Uniform and the Shihakusho

-oba- Aunt. I used it as an honorific and I'm not quite sure if that's okay...

-Sakebi, Shugorei- Shout, Guardian Spirit. I got this from an online translator, if I've mangled it please tell me and I will gladly change it.

-Senka- the favorite technique of Kuchiki Byakuya, it is, basically, a flash step combined with a spin that allows the user to strike quickly from the front and back. In canon it is used to destroy Ichigo's saketsu chain and hakusui soul sleep.

-Shihakusho- The Shinigami uniform

-shoji screen doors- a sliding door that is basically a frame of wood around paper. Found mostly in traditional Japanese homes

-Yuudai- Can be read as 'great hero'. I got this from a wonderful name site called behindthename (dot) com.

-Zanpakuto- The Shinigami's sword. Translated as 'Soul Slayer' in the English Dub

_**Author's Note**_

I've had this idea for awhile, and to me it seemed like a silly impossible thing to write and I never considered sharing it. But then I read Daricio's 'Divided by Zero' which, if I'd thought of it, would also go into the silly impossible idea pile in my head. So I ended up writing this. I believe it can stand as a oneshot, but I also have a bit of plotline roughed out. I can continue it if you guys want me to. If no one wants me to continue then I guess this is my happy little stand alone silly idea.

PLEASE REVIEW. I have ANONYMOUS REVIEWS ENABLED so you have no excuse. If you want to tell me whether to continue or not and how you liked this fic, please review.


	2. Free With Nothing To Do

Heart of the Sword

Free With Nothing To Do

Bakageta

'_Crazy, what is this thing that's happening to me? _

_Oh, I'm going crazy, it's always happening to me. _

_I only try to keep myself alive, _

_I always used to take the wrong advice, _

_And I could tell you why, but then I'd have to kill you right away.'_

_--'Crazy' Northern Portrait_

_**One-hundred and fifty years ago; two days after the end of the Winter War**_

"Goddammit! That hurts like a bitch!" He shouted as he pushed the heavy concrete remains of a bridge off of him. He pulled himself out of the rubble pile and balanced on one of the larger pieces. There was a burning sensation in his arm and when he looked he could see his own white flesh closing up a black gash in his forearm.

Absently, he noticed he was wearing a Shinigami's black Shihakusho. The clothing was ragged and, he realized with a wide grin, stiff with dried blood. He sniffed the dried blood on the sleeve and then licked it. The blood was that of his King.

"This," He said licking his lips, "is getting interestin'."

He scrambled down the side of the debris pile, not bothering with caution as any wounds he sustained were healed almost immediately after he got them. The stiffness of his clothes was an annoyance so he walked into the river's swift currents; he watched with a cruel grin as King's blood momentarily dirtied the water.

He looked down into the still bit of water near the shoreline and saw his own distorted reflection. He wasn't wearing their mask like he normally would have if he'd taken control from Ichigo. Instead he looked the same as he would have in the inner world. He marveled at this for a few moments then carefully sifted through his and Ichigo's consciousness. Ichigo wasn't there.

"It's not supposed to be like this…" He said wearing Ichigo's trademark frown. "King is supposed to be there. He's supposed to watch while I take him over. While I do everything he can't. While I ki—"

With a scream and a splash, he fell into the shallow water at the river's bank.

"What the hell?" He coughed out as he pulled himself out of the water and onto the shore. He put a hand up to his chest then pulled it away and looked at it, fully expecting to see the blood that would surely accompany the sudden stabbing pain he'd felt in his chest. The only thing on his hand, however, was water.

He narrowed his eyes and searched through their consciousness more carefully. He frowned; there _was_ something other than Zangetsu and himself. It was something tiny, no more than an orange and black wisp, and easily overlooked. With mental hands he reached out for it but no matter how fast he was the wisp always managed to dart out of his grasp.

'_What the hell are you?'_ He asked it.

It didn't answer; instead it fluttered around agitatedly inside his consciousness. Eventually he felt a delicate nudging at his mind. He carefully opened his mind up enough to let the wisp give him its message. At first it was nothing more than an unsteady blur of images, but gradually the wisp managed words.

_:This one is Will to Protect. This one is Will to Fight. This one will not allow White One to harm them.:_

The wisp drove its point in with images as well. He grimaced; wherever the King had disappeared to he'd left a sentry to protect his friends. The wisp was too small and quick to guard against. Luckily, it was very simple, and would likely only react to direct threats to the ideals it had.

"Well that's one less fun thing to do." He grumbled.

Sullenly, he rose to his feet. His thoroughly soaked Shihakusho were clinging to his limbs and hindering his movement. _Maybe going into the river wasn't the best idea…_ He thought, frowning. He tried to shake the water off of himself, but it didn't really work. He scowled and tried to wring the water out; while this was slightly more effective it didn't go nearly as quickly as he wanted it to. Finally, he gave up and struggled out of his gi, letting it fall to the ground with a loud, wet slap. He would have taken off his hakama as well but something kept him from doing so. He scowled; it was probably that damn wisp.

"He's down here, Ishida-kun! I'm sure of i--!"

He looked towards the sound and saw one of Ichigo's friends, the auburn haired girl, stumble down the debris strewn hill toward him.

"Careful, Inoue! This area hasn't been cleared yet, and there's still the chance that some Hollows are still around."

Another of Ichigo's friends appeared, the thin glasses-wearing one, and he caught the girl's arm before she fell.

Neither of the two had noticed him yet, and he wasn't sure of what he should do. He couldn't kill, or, likely, even attack them because of the wisp's presence, but he had too much pride to run at the first sign of danger.

"Look, Ishida-kun!" The girl shouted as the boy attempted to get her to go down a safer path than the one she had chosen. She was pointing at him with her free hand while the boy continued to keep her from falling. "There he is!"

The boy looked up and as soon as the boy saw him he froze and his expression hardened.

"He looks like he rolled in sugar!" The girl said in wonder. "Save some for me Kurosaki-kun! Don't be a candy hog!"

"Inoue," The boy cautioned, "that is not Kurosaki."

But the boy's misgivings didn't stop the girl, and she continued her scramble down the debris heap.

"It's okay Ishida-kun!" The girl called over her shoulder, "Kurosaki-kun's just a little different, like when he protected me in Hueco Mundo."

At the edge of the river, he was still weighing his options. Self-preservation was starting to win out, but only because he knew the thin boy was Quincy and they tended to shoot Hollows first and not even bother to ask questions later. Still, the girl might stop the Quincy from doing anything too hasty (like filling him with arrows) and then he could beat a retreat after a few snide comments with his pride intact.

Unfortunately, he didn't have the chance to decide on either course of action. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed the blurred movement that signified the end of shunpo. He managed to turn quickly enough to catch a glimpse of dark skin and purple hair before feeling a pinch in his left shoulder and falling suddenly into dark unconsciousness.

When he woke, he did it quickly and smoothly but he didn't open his eyes.

He had recognized the person who'd knocked him unconscious as Yoruichi from all the training Ichigo had done in Seireitei. For a moment he allowed himself to bask in Ichigo's memories of the constant, harsh training. Before he'd had enough self-awareness to fight against his King, the Bankai training had been the most fun he'd ever had, even if he hadn't been doing the actual fighting.

But now he'd been caught by Yoruichi, probably the rest of Ichigo's gang of friends as well, and, because of the damned sentry Ichigo had left in their mind, was incapable of making any attempt to kill them. If he was going to escape he'd need a decent plan, and to get a decent plan he needed Ichigo's friends to leave him alone long enough to think. Feigning unconsciousness seemed the best way to do this.

"I still don't see what keeping that _thing_ here will accomplish."

The thin boy's voice brought him out of his contemplation. He shifted in the futon he'd been placed on so as to better hear.

"Maa, maa, Ishida-san."

He recognized this voice too.

_Isn't he the one King called Getaboushin?_

"We need to go about this rationally; that Hollow was, technically, the last person to see Ichigo before he vanished. Other than Aizen of course, but as he's unhelpfully dead at the moment..."

_If that's Getaboushin, then I'm probably in his shop…shit…_

Then he realized that the shopkeeper's voice had been getting louder.

He heard the door slide open, but still kept his eyes closed, hoping against all reason that he'd be left alone.

"If you want to be rational, then the last thing we should be doing is questioning a Hollow." The thin boy said derisively. From his place on the floor he could both hear and feel the boy's footsteps as he entered.

"So close-minded." Getaboushin observed, and he also heard and felt Getaboushin come in and slid the door closed. There was a flash of reiatsu before Getaboushin continued. "I thought that you would have realized by now that Hollows are some of the most rational creatures there are. They do nothing without reason."

There was a bit of an awkward silence before the thin boy changed the subject.

"Is the barrier you put up sound proof?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Orihime shouldn't have to hear this if it gets violent."

There was a pause before Getaboushin took action.

"It's past noon!" Getaboushin said loudly in an obnoxiously happy voice. "All good boys should be out of bed!" Then Getaboushin yanked the covers from the futon.

He flinched from the sudden cold--it seemed that whoever had put him into the futon hadn't bothered to put his gi back on--and glared up at the grinning blond man.

"The hell's wrong with you!?"

"Many things, depending on who you ask." Getaboushin said cheerfully. "But that isn't important right now. Right now, we want to know what happened to Kurosaki-san."

"What makes you think I care what happened to King?" He asked as he sat up.

"Well… I'd like to think it was out of the goodness of your heart, but we both know how that kind of thing is with Hollows." Getaboushin shrugged. "So I brought a friend to 'encourage' you to care."

Getaboushin stepped aside and revealed the thin boy who was glaring hatefully down at him.

He glared back at the thin boy and at Getaboushin and wondered what he'd done to bring such complications down on himself.

"What happened when Ichigo killed Aizen?" Getaboushin asked after he'd gotten no response to his threat.

"I wasn't really in the best position to see." He said sullenly. He was now staring at the wall, refusing to make eye contact.

"Then tell me what you felt." Getaboushin persisted.

He grimaced, it would be so much easier if he could just fight them and get out, and he wouldn't even have to kill them. He just needed to figure out what the hell he was going to do with himself now that he was out and in control. Truthfully, he hadn't really given much thought to what he would do once King was no longer in control.

"A shitload of reiatsu." He said finally.

"That explains _so_ much." The thin boy scoffed.

"Shut the hell up!"

"Now, now," Getaboushin broke in before a fight could start, "maybe you could give us a bit of context?"

"Tch… fine. Me and King were fighting together." And, he remembered, it had been wonderful. For once the two halves had actually worked together. They had fought as two minds sharing the same goal and working through one body, each trusting the other just enough to know that neither would do anything to put that goal in jeopardy.

"We were beating the bastard's ass, too." He said, grinning widely at the memory. "But then the bastard pulled some kind of fruity kido shit. I got knocked back inside and whatever he did kept me from moving. Hurt a hell of a lot, too.

"After that, King managed to get him in a deadlock. They talked some; I didn't really hear what they said."

"You're sure you didn't hear anything?" The thin boy interrupted.

"Yeah, and if you want me to talk, don't interrupt like a damn five year old." He snapped.

Getaboushin sighed and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like _children…_

"Anyway, they talked and then King did… something. All I know about it is that it made a shitload of reiatsu and that it hurt worse than whatever the bastard's kido did. Felt like chunks were being ripped off of me."

"Hmm… That sounds very interesting." Getaboushin said quietly.

"Whatever," He said derisively, "Can I go now?"

The thin boy chuckled. "Even if we did let you go, where would you go?"

"Away." He answered.

"Come, Ishida-san," Getaboushin said as he opened the door, "We need to talk to the others about this."

The thin boy nodded and followed after Getaboushin as he shut the door.

_They're gone… I wonder…_

He got up and out of the futon as quietly as he could and walked slowly to the door. He moved to open the door but as soon as his hand touched the door pain sliced along his palm. The door had still been sealed, and whatever was sealing it had given his palm a bone deep laceration.

"Shit… Damn Getaboushin left the damn seal on the room! Bastard!"

He held his wounded hand and watched as it bled for a few minutes before he realized that it wasn't healing.

**Notes/Translations/Info:**

-First off, YES, CHRONOLOGICALLY THIS OCCURS BEFORE THE FIRST CHAPTER. About 150 years before to be exact. But because Ichigo is more important, he gets to go first.

-futon: in a nutshell they're a mattress on the floor, it's a bit different from the American version of futons. It's what Ichigo was sleeping in after Byakuya fought him the first time.

-Getaboushin: literally 'Sandal-hat'; Ichigo's nickname for Urahara. It's translated as 'Hat 'n Clogs' in English.

-kun: masculine, an honorific used between friends and from an adult to a child/teenager. While it's mainly used for boys it can also be used for tomboy-ish girls.

-Maa, maa: in this instance it means 'calm down', but in other situations it can be taken as 'Well, well'.

-san: another honorific, used for both genders, it is basically the Japanese equivalent of Mr./Mrs./Ms.

-reiatsu: the Bleach version of spiritual energy

A/N: Sooo... here's chapter two of my silly idea. The pronoun use is a bit confusing, I think, but technically Ichigo's hollow doesn't have a name so I couldn't call him one (He will get one nextime he shows up, I'd go crazy otherwise) and I don't think he ever specifically refers to himself as a hollow either... So I just ended up overusing 'he'.

Next time we'll be back to Ichigo, so look forward to that. I'm thinking of alternating chapters between Ichigo and the hollow, let me know what you guys think.

A great big huge thank you to my fantabulous beta, Unsane Chibi, who dropped whatever she was doing and immediately gave this chapter the once over. Another thank you to Arwen who encouraged me during the writing and allowed me to bounce ideas off of her. And thank yous to to my reviewers: Kitty Petro, MysticMaiden 18, Hyou-kun, Alowl, reader (anon), Unsane chibi, GundamWingFanatic90, The Hollow Inside, Arwen Dark Sorceress Of Fate, Dark Inu Fan, KitsuneOverlord, Sarloos, Shandul-kun, chica blanca, FantasticallySnarkastic, SplitToInfinity, hoheehum, sandcat, Rhiniel, and WainGuy.

As always, PLEASE REVIEW! I have ANONYMOUS REVIEWS ENABLED! There are no excuses, and I don't mind if you just copy-paste 'Good job!' into the field.


	3. Finding Where I Stand

Heart of the Sword

Finding Where I Stand

Bakageta

* * *

_'If I just put my strong feelings in charge,  
Then I will have a chance at my dream again.__'  
__--'Heart of the Sword-Yoake Mae' T.M. Revolution

* * *

_

_**One-hundred and fifty years after the end of the Winter War; Five days after Ichigo awoke**_

"Rukia-oba, I have a request."

Yuudai was planning to ask Rukia to help him practice, and Ichigo was watching the scene unfold through the still pond next to the memory building. He could have watched directly through Yuudai's eyes if he'd wanted to but the last time he'd done that it had been like the memories. He'd been forced to do what Yuudai was doing and he'd been unable to react to anything. That was something he wasn't eager to feel again.

"I'd be more likely to agree if you'd stop calling me aunt, you know I hate that." Rukia said as they walked down the halls of the thirteenth division.

"Father tells me it's either -oba or -san."

"Fine. So, what did you want to ask?"

"I wanted to know if you would spar with me."

"I thought you only sparred with Nii-sama?"

"Yes, but this is something I want to keep secret from Father."

Rukia raised an eyebrow incredulously.

"What would you want to keep secret from him?" She asked. "Usually you tell him immediately of any accomplishment you make, no matter how slight, like you're some kind of over-eager puppy."

The view in the pond shifted wildly as Yuudai glanced around for anyone who would be listening.

"I learned Shikai, and I want to be more experienced with it before I use it in a spar against Father."

"Ah," Rukia nodded sagely, "You want a trump card. Fine, give me a moment to shove my paper work off onto Sentaro and Kiyone. Go wait for me at my private practice field."

Ichigo looked up from the pond as Yuudai made the short journey to Rukia's training field. This was the kind of thing that made his existence unbelievably boring, all the mundane activities that Yuudai went through daily dragged on for an observer.

"_Shugorei-san?"_

It was Yuudai, Ichigo glanced at the pond and saw that he'd reached the field then he looked up to the sky and answered.

"Yeah?" Ichigo wondered why anyone would be so formal with a being that was basically part of their own soul.

"_What's going to happen when I release Shikai?"_

"Pfff… Damned if I know."

"_What?!" _In the inner world Yuudai's shock was palpable. _"How can you not know?!"_

"I've never done this before." Ichigo said simply, like he was speaking to a young child.

"_But…"_

Ichigo snorted, it seemed like Yuudai was having trouble understanding that, in this, at least, Ichigo was no more experienced than he was. _'He's not used to not knowing.' _ Ichigo realized. _'He's always known exactly what was happening in his life and now that he doesn't, he's scared.'_

"Yuudai, are you ready?" Rukia's voice interrupted their conversation.

Ichigo looked back down to the pond and saw that Rukia had arrived at her private training field.

"I am, Rukia-oba." Yuudai said, showing no outward signs of the anxiety that manifested in the inner world as a sudden, cold breeze.

"Then when you're ready you can release your Shikai."

In the few quiet moments before Yuudai spoke the release command, eddies of power began flowing through the inner world and converging on Ichigo. Instinctively, Ichigo took in the power swirling around him and as it built up, almost to the point where he couldn't contain it, he began releasing his own power. Then both of their energies surged.

"Sakebi," Yuudai said, and his voice echoed throughout the inner world and resonated with Ichigo's very core. "Shugorei!"

As soon as the last syllable had been spoken, there was a surge of power and Ichigo was pulled forward and upward into the sky. As he rose his senses became muffled and eventually blank. Seconds later, his senses returned in a burst and for a few moments he couldn't move from the intensity of it all. Whatever its specifics, Shikai had brought him out alongside his wielder. Everything around him seemed to be so much more real than it had in Yuudai's inner world.

Ichigo had appeared a few steps behind and to Yuudai's right with a long, plain daitō sword resting comfortably in the palm of his hand. Instead of the slim-fitting clothing he'd worn in the inner world, Ichigo was wearing a modified Shihakusho; the collar extended into a hood that completely covered his bright hair. There was also some kind of visor that covered his eyes and made his vision inhumanly detailed.

"That's fitting." Rukia said as she watched Ichigo. "Though, I can't say I've ever seen a Shikai like that before."

"Yeah." Yuudai agreed as he turned to see Ichigo. "Shugorei?"

"_Hmm?" _Ichigo had been distracted. Rukia's stance was familiar, like he'd seen it before, but he had no idea where. He wasn't even sure if he'd existed before he'd been Yuudai's sword.

"What do we do now?"

Ichigo let out a short laugh. _"We attack, moron."_

Yuudai glanced over at Rukia, who was watching curiously.

"_Unless she knows how to lip-read, she can't hear me."_ It was one of the things that Ichigo had _known_ as soon as his Shikai had been released.

"Okay…" Yuudai agreed tentatively before turning back to Rukia. "Rukia-oba, aren't you going to release your Zanpakuto?"

"Only if I need to. Now, you can come at me whenever you're ready." Rukia replied, shifting into a ready stance with one hand gripping her sheath and the other hand gripping the hilt of her Zanpakuto.

Ichigo and Yuudai moved in unison, each dashing towards Rukia from a different angle. Ichigo sped up, easily, leaving Yuudai behind, and raised his daitō over his head so he could bring it down once he reached his target.

Rukia brought her own blade up to block. Instead of clashing against it, Ichigo's daitō went through it and headed towards Rukia's shoulder. Rukia flashed away across the field before Yuudai was able to catch her.

"_You're slow." _Ichigo said when Yuudai turned to glare at him.

"This is a spar!" He bit out. "You don't cut people's zanpakuto in half in a spar!"

"_A spar is practice for a real fight." _Ichigo replied, pointing out what he saw as obvious. _"If you don't treat it as a real fight you'll be killed once you get into a real fight."_

"I'm going to fight Hollows! Not Shinigami!"

"_That doesn't matter. Besides, she's coming back."_

Yuudai turned in time to see that Rukia was racing towards him with her disconcertingly whole sword ready to slice into him. She was close enough that he wouldn't be able to completely block her strike. With a flicker of motion, Ichigo interposed himself between Rukia and his wielder. He had easily caught her sword on his own, this time though the blades held and grated against one another.

Rukia chuckled, "Your zanpakuto's name is more fitting than I thought."

She pulled out of their deadlock and sheathed her zanpakuto.

"What?" Yuudai was uncharacteristically confused.

"_I can't attack."_ Ichigo said discontentedly, resting the daitō's long blade on his shoulder and scowling. _"I can only guard and counterattack." _ Ichigo had _known_ that as soon as he'd decided to attack Rukia, he'd kept going because he'd thought Yuudai would follow through when Rukia was confused.

"When he attacked me," Rukia observed, "His blade went through Sode no Shirayuki and my shoulder without doing any damage, but, when I attacked you, his blade was solid when he guarded. It's a bit straightforward, but, if you're creative enough, you'll be able to do some interesting things."

"Like?"

"Figure it out yourself, brat. I can't do everything for you." Then Rukia drew her sword again and took a ready stance.

Yuudai ran at Rukia again, but, instead of following the same motions as their earlier attack, Ichigo flash-stepped away and into the air. Rukia was skilled and there was no way she would fall for the same trick twice. He waited until he saw an opening; Rukia had made an attempt at her brother's trademark Senka, it was near perfect in form though at a much slower speed. Ichigo let himself plummet to the ground as soon as he saw that Yuudai, despite all his practice, wasn't anticipating the second strike.

As soon as his feet touched ground, Ichigo knocked Rukia's second strike away and followed with a kick to her stomach. Rukia was flung backwards, but righted herself and came to a skidding stop.

"That was Senka?" Yuudai asked as Rukia caught her breath.

"Yes." Rukia admitted after a few moments. "If not for your zanpakuto, I would have hit you. Just because I am not Nii-sama doesn't mean I am incapable of using his attacks. My attack was much slower; you should have been able to block it on your own. Especially considering how often Nii-sama drills you on it."

"Yes, Rukia-oba." Yuudai's head was bowed. Ichigo had realized after only a few of his wielder's sparring matches with his father that this was a sign of shame.

Ichigo was standing between the two; he'd been slightly thrown of balance by Rukia's sudden, impromptu lecture. What little part he'd played in the fight had convinced him that whoever he'd been before, if he'd been anyone at all, had been a fighter. For the few seconds he'd been in motion, Ichigo had felt truly real, like the world had felt when Yuudai had first released him.

"Don't feel too bad, Yuudai. This is a spar, its entire purpose is to help you improve and making mistakes is how you do that."

"Yes, Rukia-oba." Yuudai agreed without much feeling.

For a moment Ichigo saw sympathy in Rukia's eyes before she, once again, took up her stance.

"You can come at me whenever you're ready." She said, and, after a few seconds, Yuudai did.

For most of the rest of their sparring session, Ichigo stood on the sidelines. Yuudai was not used to fighting alongside others, and it showed. His movements took no consideration for Ichigo who was only able to flash in occasionally to keep Rukia's sword at bay. Admittedly, Yuudai was very skilled. He had yet to face anyone in a completely serious fight, but despite this he was able to adapt to his opponent's style. And, while he lacked experience, he was talented enough to give many lower seated shinigami a fight for their positions.

'_But he's convinced he's fighting alone.' _Ichigo thought idly to himself as he watched as Rukia and Yuudai all but danced around each other, their blades throwing off sparks as they struck. _'He's known my name for almost a week, but he treats me like some high and mighty god. Shinigami respect their zanpakuto, sure, but they don't keep them at arm's length.'_

Ichigo sighed, _'At least he's not as bad as Zaraki. Wait…' _Ichigo wondered for a moment how he knew Yuudai was treating him better than Kenpachi Zaraki would have. Neither he, nor Yuudai, had ever met the Eleventh Division's monstrous captain.

The sound of metal grating against metal drew Ichigo's attention back to Yuudai and Rukia. They had seemed evenly matched throughout the fight, but, as Rukia shoved Yuudai away and spun around behind him easily bringing the blunt edge of her zanpakuto to rest against her nephew's throat, the difference in their skills became clear.

"We're done for now." She said after Yuudai had lowered his sword in a gesture of surrender. "You need more practice in using your Shikai. As you are now, you have no hope of causing Nii-sama to even consider releasing Senbonzakura."

"Yes, Rukia-oba." Yuudai agreed, quietly. He sheathed his sword, and Ichigo's awareness dimmed as the blade descended into its saya.

When Ichigo woke in Yuudai's inner world it was night. Yuudai was asleep, and, apparently, Ichigo had been too. It seemed strange that he, as a zanpakuto spirit, had been tired by being released. Maybe because Yuudai had been tired? Zanpakuto drew their strength from their wielders, so maybe he had been exhausted simply because Yuudai had been so as well?

"That could be it." Ichigo muttered as he sat up, but it didn't seem quite right.

He had woken on the bank of the viewing pond, which was now dark as Yuudai slept. There was nothing interesting for Ichigo to do at night. Normally he would have slept for lack of anything better to do, but he'd already slept away his exhaustion. So, with nothing better to do, he wandered the complex of buildings that made up Yuudai's inner world. He didn't have a destination in mind as he wandered, but he eventually arrived at the compound's main gates.

Surprisingly enough, a woman was standing outside the gate. She had pale, feathery hair and blue eyes that together gave her an ethereal look in the dim starlight. Her kimono was a light grey, almost white, and was embroidered with a silver-threaded pattern of feathers. Unlike Ichigo, she fit with the setting of Yuudai's inner world.

"It took you long enough." The woman observed. "Now let me in."

"Who the hell are you?"

"What a poor memory." She commented. "You only fought my Lady Rukia a few hours ago."

"You're her zanpakuto?" Ichigo asked skeptically.

"Yes, so let me in so I can introduce myself properly."

Ichigo let the woman in, making sure to latch the gate behind her.

"I am Sode no Shirayuki." She spoke after Ichigo had finished locking the gate and had turned to face her.

"Shugorei." Ichigo figured that that was the name the other zanpakuto wanted.

"You take me for a fool, Kurosaki Ichigo?" Shirayuki scoffed. "I recognize the man who wielded me for three months."

Shirayuki paused and looked Ichigo over.

"What?" Ichigo asked defensively. He'd been taken off guard; he hadn't expected Shirayuki would know his other name.

"I was just thinking that Shugorei always had a bit of a hero complex."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I came here to find out why Shugorei had changed so much, and instead I find Kurosaki Ichigo. It seems interesting things have happened while I was focused on my Lady. Perhaps the Crimson Princess would know?"

Sode no Shirayuki trailed off, staring contemplatively at nothing in particular.

Ichigo shook his head and turned to walk farther into the compound, muttering to himself. "I give up, you're too weird and I've got enough shit to deal with on my own."

"Don't give up, Kurosaki Ichigo!" Shirayuki spoke earnestly, catching Ichigo's hand before he could leave. "My Lady has missed you all this time, but she perseveres. She holds hope for you when few others do the same.

"Allow me to discuss this with those more experienced than myself. I will return and tell you as much as I am able to."

"Fine." Ichigo agreed.

**Notes/Translations/Info:**

-Daitō: A type of Japanese sword whose blade was over two 'shaku' (1 shaku is roughly 30 cm or 1 foot). This is the kind of sword that Ichigo uses while in Bankai, though the one he uses now during Shikai is much less decorated and has a normally colored blade.

- About Ichigo/Shugorei's Shikai: A few specifics that I wasn't able to get into in the chapter. Ichigo only has access to the same amount of reiatsu that Yuudai currently has, so if Yuudai improves, Ichigo does as well. The amount of reiatsu Yuudai has is much, much less than Ichigo had in canon. However, even though their reiatsu levels are equal, their skill levels aren't. Ichigo is superior to Yuudai in several things (like flash-step, hand-to-hand and sword combat, and experience) and Yuudai is superior to Ichigo in a few other things (like reiatsu manipulation and kido).

**Author's Note:**

First off, a big thanks to Unsane Chibi for betaing this, hopefully it was enough to keep you from getting too bored. Next, thanks to SplitToInfinity, who poked me in a review and got me writing. Finally, thanks to all my reviewers: Shandul, MysticMaiden 18, L.M. Fraser, SeraphinaDonna, oneluckyduck sponge Fan (anon), GrimmIchi (anon), SplitToInfinity, ANONYMOUS (ano-wait... I see what you did there...), Fic Hunter, HK-Revan, sandcat (anon), Dark Inu Fan, and detergentfan (anon).

So, hopefully this was an interesting chapter. We got a bit of fighting, a bit of Sode no Shirayuki, and a ton of confusion. I've realized that I won't be able to pull off alternating between only Ichigo and Hollow!Ichigo, so instead I'll alternate between Ichigo and various other characters. Chapter 4 is already planned as Hollow!Ichigo, but after that the even numbered chapters are up for grabs. Is there any character whose POV you want to see? Tell me and I'll try to work them in.

One thing I've thought about was setting up a forum for this and maybe my other fics. It would be good for me for a few reasons: I'd be able to bounce ideas off of people, I'd get to know you guys, and (hopefully) you guys will pester me into writing more which means more updating. It'd be good for you because you could pester me to write. I'll set it up if at least a few of you guys want me to, so tell me in a review or in a PM.

As always, PLEASE REVIEW! I have ANONYMOUS REVIEWS ENABLED, so you have no excuse. Reviews let me know what you think, and encourage me to write. I don't even mind if you just copy-paste 'good job!', and believe me, somebody has already done that.


	4. Drifting in the Verges

Heart of the Sword

Drifting in the Verges

Bakageta

'_I'm not playing this game no more  
_

_I'm out of medicine,_

___So call the medics.'_

_--'The Scene is Dead, Long Live the Scene' Cobra Starship_

_**One-hundred and fifty years ago; two days after the end of the Winter War**_

"This sucks…" He mumbled woozily.

Hours had passed since he'd injured his hand in an attempt to escape Getaboushin's cheerful hell-hole and he still hadn't regenerated. Worse, the blood loss had started to affect him. He'd been horrified at first when he'd realized this, normally he would have just powered through any injury or discomfort, but this time he hadn't been able to. Now he lay prone on the futon whose sheets had been wrapped hastily around his injured palm.

"This really, really sucks…"

After a few moments he heard a steady thumping sound, and idly wondered if he was hearing his own heartbeat. That couldn't be it though, he realized, hollows were empty and even if it was his heart there was no way in hell he'd have a high enough blood pressure to hear his heart beat. Then he heard a strange sliding followed by a thump.

He heard voices too, though they seemed to be drifting in and out as if someone was fiddling with the volume knob.

"…can't really know what's wrong without knowing… …mean, everything that happened in that fight was unprece…"

It was Getaboushin. He wanted to tell the strange man to speak up so he could hear him, but he couldn't seem to gather up the coordination needed to speak.

"…aying we need to ask him more questions? I doubt we'll get any straight ans…"

Then the thin boy.

There was more speech, but it was so quiet that he couldn't make out more than a low murmur.

"Shit!"

He grinned, someone, he couldn't say who, was angry.

Suddenly, hands were shifting him off of his futon and onto the hard floor. He mumbled insults but got no response. The hands began checking vitals and he felt dull waves of searching reiatsu wash over him.

"Should I get Inoue?"

"No, this isn't the kind of thing that she could heal."

"But she can—"

"She can reject the existence of wounds, yes, but Ichigo isn't wounded. He's been ripped in two."

He heard a sharp intake of breath, probably the Quincy. Had he been able to he would have scoffed, He was still whole obviously. The King was defeated; he was sure of that, no matter what little nagging thoughts resided in the back of his mind.

"Now, please Ishida-san, if you want Kurosaki to have a chance at recovery, give me room to work."

There was movement, and he realized that his vision was blurred. It must have happened gradually, he reasoned, as he hadn't noticed it. He should be worried, but he couldn't gather up the effort, he just wanted to sleep. He'd have more energy afterward, he was sure.

"Damn it!"

The voice was distant and that pleased him. Getaboushin and the Quincy boy were leaving; he'd be able to sleep and then make his escape once he woke up.

He felt pressure, not physical, but spiritual, across his entire body. It was still and dry and it held him immobile. His eyes closed and he slept.

* * *

In the inner world, Zangetsu stood alone on one of the remaining buildings. Most that still stood were crumbling, and he hesitated to put his weight on them and cause more damage. They were still sideways, and that, at least, gave Zangetsu hope. The inner world was damaged, yes, but not irreparably. However, recovery, if it ever happened, would be difficult, and there was pitifully little that Zangetsu could do to help.

The single remaining shard of Ichigo fluttered anxiously around Zangetsu like a scrap of cloth blown on a breeze. He knew it was aware of him, and that it knew instinctively what he was, but Zangetsu doubted it knew much else. It was the reason that they were still alive, half of a soul would not last long, but slightly more than half… There would at least be hope.

The rest of Ichigo had survived somehow as well. If it hadn't they would be dead, it was as simple as that. Someone or something had preserved it, just as Urahara Kisuke was now preserving the Hollow and himself.

Zangetsu wondered; if Ichigo had known the consequences of his attack, would he have still done it? He thought that he would have. If nothing else, Ichigo was stupidly brave and self-sacrificing.

He felt the air around him become still and settled down to wait. He had no doubts as to whether Ichigo would return; it was just a matter of time.

* * *

When Urahara had asked for space to work, Ishida had left the sealed room. Though when Urahara had sworn, he'd almost turned to go back. But he hadn't. He knew that Quincys as a whole, and he especially, weren't much good at anything other than destruction, and most of the time he was fine with that. But now, the stupid, brave idiot who had somehow become his friend was dying, and he couldn't help.

So Ishida stood outside while the shopkeeper worked and wondered what had happened.

_Why, _he wondered, _did the hollow's condition decline so rapidly?_

Ishida was no doctor, and likely never would be, but he knew that that kind of thing didn't happen unless there was something _really, obviously_ wrong. There hadn't been anything obviously wrong with the hollow when Ishida had seen him. The thing had been standing idly by the ruined bridge, wet and unharmed, when he and Orihime had found him, and Ishida didn't think that Yoruichi had hit him that hard when she'd knocked him unconscious.

And didn't it have some sort of freaky regenerative power? Ishida had seen it heal in seconds in Hueco Mundo, what kept it from healing here?

"Too many questions…" He muttered.

"What kind of questions?" Orihime asked.

Ishida looked up; somehow Orihime had approached without him noticing.

"Ah, nothing!"

She looked at him, as offended as Orihime ever got. "You don't need to protect me; I can handle it."

Ishida knew that, but it didn't stop him from wanting to. Whatever was happening with Ichigo had to be bad if even Urahara didn't know what was going on.

"Something's going on with Ichigo's Hollow."

"What?" She was instantly concerned, yet determined, and Ishida wished he knew more so he could tell her.

"I don't really know. Urahara-san said something about Kurosaki being ripped in two, and then he kicked me out…"

"Does he know where the rest of Ichigo is? If we can find all of him I can help, like with Jidanbo-san's arm."

"I don't think he does. Whatever's going on, I don't think it's ever happened before."

Their lack of knowledge hung between them, and they were quiet. Ishida felt useless, and he hated that feeling. Orihime looked, if anything, more upset than he was, and Ishida realized that she probably felt worse than he did. Here was someone she cared deeply for, who was deeply injured, and she, with all her skill and power, could do nothing to heal him.

With a clatter, Urahara opened the shoji. He looked exhausted in a way Ishida had never seen, like he'd stayed up for days on end and had then run until he could barely stand.

"What happened?" Orihime broke the silence.

Urahara looked uncertain for a moment, and that frightened Ishida, he'd never seen Urahara uncertain, before speaking.

"Souls are meant to be whole. Whatever Kurosaki did, it tore him in two."

Urahara paused and almost visibly gathered his thoughts.

"He should be dead right now. There's been… research…" Urahara said 'research' as if it were a curse. "Sometimes, when a soul is split, one part is bigger and it survives longer, but even then it's only a few seconds longer. There's just no way to survive a wound like that, but Kurosaki did, maybe because his soul was already in joined halves."

"Then why did the Hollow," Ishida searched for the right words. "Why did he start dying?"

"This is a guess, but, where ever it is, I think the other half of Kurosaki's soul is still alive. Souls can't exist in pieces for long, and if one of those pieces dies it takes the other with it, but they can exist. If a soul already has two halves, like Kurosaki's, it's possible that each personality would exist on its own when the soul was split, but they'd be extremely weak and fragile."

"So White Kurosaki-san… overdid it…?" Orihime hazarded a guess.

"Something like that." Urahara agreed. "Though, he should have been able to hold on for longer."

"He's okay now?"Orihime asked.

"Not really. He's stable, in a way. I've sealed him into Zangetsu. We won't be able to heal him, but he won't be able to deteriorate."

"Then there's a chance we could save him?" Ishida asked, cautiously hopeful.

"So long as the other half of Kurosaki's soul doesn't get itself killed." Urahara said with a tired smile.

**-Notes/Translations/Info:**

-This is the chapter where I start to introduce the weird stuff... Hopefully none of it broke your willing suspension of disbelief. And I don't believe there were any new words... But I wonder, should I put a translation of every word used in a chapter regardless of whether or not I've translated/defined it before?

-Sorry this took so long. I have my excuses (college and getting into the nursing program) but you probably don't care too much about that. I can't promise that the next chapter will come out any sooner (as I have final exams at the end of the month), but I will try.

-As always a huge thanks to Unsane Chibi, beta reader extraordinare, as well as her mystery beta buddy, and a huge thanks to my reviewers: Arwen, Grinja, bread & water (anon), SplitToInfinity, sandcat (anon), SeraphinaDonna, Unsane Chibi, Barranca, Dark Inu Fan, Ghille Dhu, Shadow Coyote, Delphine Pryde, oneluckyduck Sponge Fan (anon), Half-Tongue, sophie (anon), green-road (anon), manami-himechan (anon), SuperiorShortness, Twilighteer1211, Anne Camp aka Obi-quiet, Katreal, Tears Parallel, Demented Kat (anon), HyperionTheWatcher, Amiriah, Jerrac, thorn (anon), Raine Haruto, Golden feathers Edward, mf (anon), shintakakugami, A Bibliophile, Tango Dancer, and SnowsongIsAJaypawFan.

-An aside: I'm amazed at not only the number of reviews but also at how cool their names are. Some of them I like more than my own.

As always, PLEASE REVIEW! I have ANONYMOUS REVIEWS ENABLED! There are no excuses, and I don't mind if you just copy-paste 'Good job!' into the field.


	5. Interlude Blood Red and Bone White

Heart of the Sword

Chapter 05: Interlude (Blood Red and Bone White)

Bakageta

* * *

"_I am a part of all that I have met"  
-Alfred Tennyson_

* * *

_**Outside of Time**_

In a place beyond physical constraints, Benihime waited.

She could feel her power being drained by Kisuke's binding and shifted uncomfortably. The binding pulled at her very being to sustain itself, and, had her wielder not known her every facet and edge as she herself knew his, it would have failed and killed them. It still might, if she couldn't balance the pull with her own strength. Still, she had faith that Kisuke knew what he was doing or, at the very least, would figure it out before they perished.

That didn't matter though. What mattered was finding the other part of Kurosaki's soul, and the being that could most help Benihime in that regard was on her way.

"I cannot stay long." Sode no Shirayuki's voice echoed through the plane before she appeared. "My Lady has received word of the discovery of Kurosaki Ichigo's hollow and she is on her way."

The other sword spirit was reserved, but not as cold as Benihime would have expected after what Kisuke had done to the young Lady Kuchiki.

"It won't be long, I just have a request to make of you. Not," Benihime added at Sode no Shirayuki's distrustful glare, "anything you would find unappealing."

"Make your request then."

"I ask only that you keep an eye out for the rest of Kurosaki's soul. You, of all blades he has crossed, are most entangled and you have easy access to places beyond my immediate reach. If you receive word of him or find him tell me and I will tell Kisuke."

"I will, if only for my Lady's peace."

* * *

**_A/N:_** No, I'm not dead. Yes, this is short. This note is short because notes shouldn't be longer than the actual fic. Thanks to everyone who's reviewed, faved, and alerted. My classes are starting in a few days, but I should hopefully have a proper chapter up soon.


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